Brine shrimp are used and looked upon as a canary in the coal mine for various environmental issues. From chemical run off to global warming, brine shrimp run the gamut when it comes to detecting environmental issues. They are an interesting creature, both hardy and delicate at the same time. Eggs survive up to 20 years out of water yet the adults can die to a small spike in phosphates in their home. Similar to frogs in many regards.

Brine shrimp were sent into space and have claimed the title of one of the first creatures to be “born” out of earths gravity. The other two being dolphins and mice. The brine shrimp births were much less messy than the other two mamals.

Brine shrimp were sent to space to study the impact of cosmic radiation on growing animals. Cosmic rays are high energy particles that come from outside our solar system. On earth we are protected by the earths atmosphere and magnetic field. In space and in orbit around the earth lifeforms are much more vulnerable. The majority of cosmic rays are protons but there is also antimatter and whatnot, similar to what is studied by the large hard-on collider in CERN.